DENVER — Denver Broncos coaches approached Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees about potentially coming out of retirement to face the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game last season, a source with knowledge of the situation acknowledged to The Denver Post. Brees ultimately declined after experiencing wrist discomfort, telling the Broncos he was in too much physical pain to play. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the story.

The conversations didn’t progress very far and Brees indicated in a podcast that he quickly realized he didn’t have the arm to actually consider a return. Multiple sources indicated to The Post that head coach Sean Payton was not aware of the outreach when it first occurred and neither were general manager George Paton or other front office personnel.

Brees, 47, would have been the second-oldest quarterback to play in an NFL game, behind 48-year-old George Blanda. He would have competed with Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the starting job. Stidham struggled in the Broncos’ 10-7 loss to New England, going 17 of 31 for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also surrendering a fumble.

Bree, who retired in 2021, hinted that he considered returning to the NFL on the New Heights podcast in February. He did not specifically mention the Broncos or any other NFL team on the podcast, but said he realized his body was not ready for game action.

“There was a moment this year where, literally, I was drinking a tequila and something happened where I thought there might be a chance where I could play that week,” Brees said. “And I literally switched to water, and I started thinking about going to bed early and getting up the next day and getting my body nice and lose and going out and throwing to see if I can even pull it off.”

In the later years of his career, Brees experienced lingering discomfort and residual pain in his throwing wrist and hand. In 2023, Brees said he could only throw a football with his left arm because of shoulder pain.

“My right arm does not work. So, when I throw in the backyard right now, I throw left-handed,” Brees said in the 2023 interview.

Brees threw for 80,358 passing yards and 571 touchdowns during his 20-year career. He led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl championship in the 2009 season.

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